Terrell Suggs One of Two Active Players From 2003 Draft; Wants to Re-Sign With Ravens After Season
Players from the 2003 NFL Draft are becoming an endangered species, but there's a good chance outside linebacker Terrell Suggs outlasts them all.
Suggs and Minnesota Vikings cornerback Terence Newman are 16-year veterans, a rare feat in the NFL. But Suggs is five years younger, and at 35 years old, he doesn't see a decline in his play coming soon.
"To be totally honest with you, I don't see my peak in my near future," Suggs told PSL season-ticket holders in an hour-long conference call Tuesday night.
Suggs' current contract is set to expire after this season, but he sees himself playing far beyond this year and made it clear he'll be in Baltimore.
"I don't plan on going nowhere," he said
"I've said this before: It's a trip to get to do it all again. I love playing ball. I love being Sizzle. When the time comes for me to just be a full-time dad, a full-time actor, writer, director, producer, I will do all that. But right now, it's flock. Go Flock, Ravens Nation."
Mark Andrews and Orlando Brown Jr. Sign Rookie Contracts
Check two more rookie contracts off the list.
The Ravens inked their pair of third-round selections in tackle Orlando Brown Jr. (No. 83 overall) and tight end Mark Andrews (No. 86) Wednesday, according to The Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec.
Both signed four-year deals that won't expire until 2022, and Brown's is reportedly worth $3.491 million. The numbers for Andrews' deal weren't reported, but it should be in the neighborhood of Brown's since they were drafted only three picks apart.
Brown, son of the late Ravens tackle with the same name, will compete for the starting right tackle job with veteran James Hurst. Brown stands in at 6-foot-8, 340 pounds and is working to lose about 15 pounds.
Andrews made 62 catches for 958 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and he'll get his first chance to reel in passes from starting quarterback Joe Flacco next week when the Ravens kick off Organized Team Activities. Andrews started off strong with quarterback Lamar Jackson during rookie minicamp.
Now the Ravens only have two remaining unsigned draft selections. Next up is tight end Hayden Hurst (No. 25) and Jackson (No. 32), the Ravens' pair of first-rounders.
It's only a matter of time before Hurst and Jackson sign, as the new rookie slotting system essentially dictates how much each draft pick will be paid. First-rounders are typically the last to sign on every NFL team, and they'll all get four-year deals with a fifth-year option teams can choose to exercise when the time comes.
Jackson has chosen not to hire an agent, and instead his mother, Felecia Jones, has represented him as his manager.
Fan Favorite Keenan Reynolds (Navy) Signs With Seahawks
Here's a non-Ravens signing Marylanders can be happy about.
Former Ravens and Navy receiver/returner/quarterback Keenan Reynolds signed with the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Baltimore drafted Reynolds in the sixth round of the 2016 draft, and that's when he began the difficult transition from college quarterback to NFL wide receiver/returner. Reynolds was on the active roster for one game, but never saw the field.
He was cut last year when the Ravens trimmed their roster to 53, but was subsequently picked up by the Washington Redskins, spending time on their practice squad.
Reynolds set several FBS records in Navy's triple-option offense, including the most touchdowns and rushing touchdowns, as well as most rushing yards by a quarterback.
Reynolds was a fan favorite before he even stepped onto the Ravens' campus after excelling in Annapolis and doing so with class and integrity. Fans, players and coaches were pulling for him, so it's good to see him get another shot in Seattle.
ESPN: Dez Bryant's Snub Bailed Out Ravens
Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant said this week that he doesn’t regret turning down the Ravens' contract offer even though he still hasn't found a new NFL home.
"The feeling should be mutual," writes ESPN.
"The Ravens would've generated a lot of national buzz by signing Bryant. It would've gone down as one of the most high-profile free-agent signings in the team's 23-year existence. But, football-wise, this represented a redundant move. Bryant is a physical possession receiver who will come up big in the red zone. That's the exact description of Michael Crabtree, who was signed by the Ravens earlier in free agency."
While Bryant would've added a lot of excitement to M&T Bank Stadium this fall, the team added many other exciting players, including Jackson, two rookie tight ends and a completely rebuilt receiving corps.
Instead of signing Bryant, the Ravens turned to New Orleans Saints restricted free agent Willie Snead IV, who doesn't have the production Bryant has, but is younger and seems to better complement Crabtree as a slot receiver.
"When looking at the receivers who got away, Bryant probably isn't at the top of the Ravens' list," wrote ESPN. "Baltimore was in the mix for Chicago Bears restricted free agent Cameron Meredith last month before he chose to sign with the New Orleans Saints. With a good combination of size and speed, Meredith had the potential to be the Ravens' No. 1 receiver."
Brandon Williams Snubbed in Top Defensive Tackles List
NFL Network's Shaun O'Hara put together his top-10 list of NFL defensive tackles, and the Ravens' Brandon Williams didn't make the cut.
Williams was injured last year, causing him to miss four games and the Ravens' rushing defense subsequently suffered. The injury may have hurt his ranking, but Baltimore Beatdown's Vasilis Lericos feels Williams is worthy of a higher standing.
"Was Williams snubbed?" asked Lericos.
"Deservedly, the Ravens big man was ranked behind penetrating interior linemen such as Donald, Fletcher Cox, Geno Atkins, DeForest Buckner and Malik Jackson. But O'Hara completely overlooked Williams while mentioning run pluggers Harrison, Joseph, Star Lotulelei and Mike Daniels."
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